The German Studies and Italian Studies programs Presents

"No, my dear Rilke!”: On Rilke’s Flirtations with Mussolini and Fascism

“What a beautiful speech by Mr. Mussolini!”, Rainer Maria Rilke writes in 1926. “No, my dear Rilke!”, the recipient of his letter, the Italian aristocrat and anarchist Lella Gallarati-Scotti, disagrees. What follows is an epistolary debate in which Rilke openly reveals his fascination with Benito Mussolini, founding figure of European fascism, and further philosophies of strength, re-birth, and domination of the time. This intricate part of Rilke’s life and work has been ignored or down-played by all biographies of this “secret king of the German soul” so far.
As we are celebrating Rilke’s 150th anniversary, Hans-Peter Kunisch invites us to revisit his writings in the light of these little-known documents. Kunisch challenges us not to denounce Rilke, but to expand our appreciation to the uncomfortable provocations of this eminent European poet who was writing at a time, not unlike ours, of radical political transformations.

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For more information, call 845-758-6822, or e-mail [email protected].

Time: 5:30 pm EST/GMT-5

Location: Olin Humanities, Room 203

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